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Vegan Recipe: Red Lentil Curry With Swiss Chard (aka Recovery Food)

If you are tired of Tofu and are looking for an alternative protein source, look no more. Red lentils pack 3.1g of protein in each tablespoon, and are rich in iron, folate and magnesium. I always thought lentils took a long time to cook and you needed to use the pressure cooker. I used green lentils to make Lentil Burger with Mushroom and it took an over to cook completely. Red lentils, on the other hand were done in 15 to 20 minutes. Now when you combine this with swiss chard, it takes the wholesomeness of this recipe to a different level. Swiss chard, frequently described as the most nutritious vegetable around, turns out is an amazing post-run recovery food. The stems have phytonutrients that act as anti-inflammatory agents and glutamine, an amino acid that’s known to help with healing.

Red Lentil Curry

Imagine, all of this goodness in 20 minutes, 30 if you include the minimum prep that’s required for this red lentil curry recipe. Here’s what you need:

De-stem the Swiss Chard, trim the ends and chop the stems and the leaves separately. Start with 2 tbsp of Olive Oil on a heated wok and add the Curry Powder in. Stir for a minute in high heat and then add in the onion and garlic. A few minutes later, add in the Swiss Chard stems stirring frequently and then set aside. Meanwhile in a soup pot, add 2 cups of water, bring to boil and add in the Rapunzel Vegan Bouillon. When the cube is fully dissolved, add in the red lentils and the stir-fry mix. Bring to boil, turn the heat down and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. When the lentils are almost done, add in the Swiss Chard leaves and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serves four and keeps well in the fridge for a week.

On morning runs, I sometimes make tacos with corn tortillas and left-over red lentil curry for a quick snack, before heading out. The slow burning complex carbohydrates in the red lentils means you can run 10 or 15 miles without having to carry food with you.